[net.followup] Another obscure word

jreuter (11/30/82)

This mumpsimus comes to mind right away:

	nucular (As in Jimmy Carter, the "nucular engineer")

	Jim Reuter (decvax!pur-ee!purdue!ncrday!cincy!jreuter)

prgclb (12/02/82)

Another mumpsimus:
Many people pronounce the technical word for voice box as
lair-nix instead of lair-inx.  The word is spelled larynx.

Also, how many people do you know who pronounce asterisk as-ter-ick?
And escape, eks-cape?  I've lost count!

riks (12/07/82)

Larynx is often mispronounced, but pharynx is not.
	Rik Smoody,  Tek Labs

dbk (12/15/82)

(I think) The word "nucular" was first popularized by Ike.  (For you
youngsters, that's former president Dwight D. Eisenhower.)
By the way, it always sounded to me as if Jimmy Carter was saying
"nukier" (3 syllables, nuk i er).  I assumed he meant nucular.

barmar (12/17/82)

Re bwkna.128: There is no such word as "nucular".  The word is
"nuclear", meaning "of the nucleus", as nuclear energy comes
from fission or fusion of the nucleus of atoms.  Thus, Jimmy Carter
was much closer to the correct pronunciation; his accent is probably
what obscured the sound of the "l".
					barmar